Wednesday 24 October 2012 02.30 EDT
First published on Wednesday 24 October 2012 02.30 EDT

After 73 years free from the troubles that afflict Britain's more notorious soccer teams, Ledbury Town Football Club faces closure because of the country's oldest known football hooligan.

The future of Ledbury Town, currently enjoying modest success in the West Midlands Premier League, is threatened after an incident at the end of a home fixture against Lye Football Club in August.

By all accounts the refereeing of Mr David Wise, of Malvern, caused several members of the 250-strong crowd to voice their disapproval. For 82-year-old Mr Sam Phillips, it was too much. Forgetting 40 peaceful years on the terraces he leapt on to the pitch and allegedly assaulted Mr Wise.

Mr Wise reported the matter to the Herefordshire Football Association, whose disciplinary committee decided to penalise the club. A £25 fine was imposed, the club was instructed to erect notices about crowd behaviour and was told to construct a special entrance for players and officials. Finally, Mr Phillips was to be banned from the ground for the rest of the season.

The club thought this a little harsh and the manager, Mr Roy Green, announced that they would compromise by allowing Mr Phillips into the social club where he could watch future matches through a window. But Herefordshire FA was not satisfied. "They threatened to close the club if Mr Phillips was allowed into the social club to watch a game," said Mr Green yesterday.

"Frankly, their decision incensed me. There's no way we're going to tolerate football hooliganism but I think it spiteful and petty-minded to treat an old man like this.

"I thought the referee made some absolutely diabolical decisions and I think that was why we lost the match. He incensed a lot of people and so this old man grabbed him as he left the pitch. He didn't do much and he was probably more frightened than the referee was. What damage could an 82-year-old do?

"He's been supporting the team for 40 years and we're not going to ban him now, even if we have to go to the Football Association itself to argue our case."

But the secretary of the Herefordshire FA, Mr Bob Doody, said yesterday: "We had to consider the seriousness of the assault on the referee. The very fact that players and officials virtually had to pull the old man off him and that the referee's shirt was damaged beyond repair must mean something. He's either a very strong 82-year-old man or else he went beserk."